Sejong dental clinic closes abruptly, leaving patients without refunds

A dental clinic in Sejong abruptly closed down late last month, prompting a surge of complaints from patients who said they had prepaid for treatment and could not get refunds.

Customers visit a dental clinic in Sejong after it announces plans to close. [YONHAP]

A dental clinic in Sejong abruptly closed down late last month, prompting a surge of complaints from patients who said they had prepaid for treatment and could not get refunds.

The Sejong Nambu Police Precinct said Thursday that it had received 49 complaints as of 10 a.m. seeking fraud and embezzlement charges against the clinic’s director. The complaints list 51 alleged victims and total damages of more than 200 million won ($135,700), police said.

The clinic closed on Nov. 26. Twelve complaints were filed that day, and 37 more were submitted over the next week.

Patients said the director required advance payment for treatments, including implant procedures and general dental care, but then suspended operations, leaving them unable to receive care or obtain refunds.

The director has said through a legal representative that refund procedures are underway, but some patients, having heard rumors that the director may file for bankruptcy, have visited the police to submit complaints.

A notice posted at the entrance of a dental clinic in Sejong. [YONHAP]

Among the complainants are families who paid several tens of millions of won upfront for treatment but have not been reimbursed, as well as patients who had teeth extracted in preparation for implants but have been unable to proceed with further treatment.

Police are interviewing complainants and plan to investigate the case after confirming the circumstances through the director’s legal representative.

The clinic has not filed any formal notice of closure or suspension with the Sejong city public health center and remains closed without official documentation.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY HYEON YE-SEUL [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]